Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will not reopen Yarmouth location

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia has decided not to reopen its Yarmouth location, ending an 18-year effort to expand exhibitions beyond the main gallery in downtown Halifax.

The AGNS first opened its western gallery on Main Street in Yarmouth in 2006. It was open year-round until 2020, when it was scaled back to a seasonal operation.

For the last three years, it would open in late May at the same time as the provincial tourist bureau, which shared space in the building.

In a statement, the AGNS said it needed to look at “a more sustainable operational model.” The western branch was dropping more than $100,000 per year.

“These funds can be better used to enhance art programming for all Nova Scotians, including those living in the Western Region,” gallery CEO Sarah Moore Fillmore said in the statement.

The AGNS has faced ongoing challenges with its bricks-and-mortar operations, the statement said. 

Its main gallery in Halifax was slated to be replaced with a new building on the city’s waterfront. But that project was put on hold by the provincial government because of cost.

The main gallery has been closed since February while it undergoes maintenance, including the replacement of the fire suppression system.